In mobile telephone systems, which have become widespread in recent years, operations are performed such that when a call-receiving mobile telephone terminal is unable to receive incoming calls due to various circumstances, this information is relayed to the call-making mobile telephone terminal. Specifically, when, as examples of incoming call disablement, a call-receiving mobile telephone terminal is outside of a coverage area or the call-receiving mobile telephone terminal is not switched on, the call-making mobile telephone terminal is informed that “The telephone you have called cannot be reached due to being out of the coverage area or not switched on”. When a so-called “driving mode” function is set in the call-receiving mobile telephone terminal, the call-making mobile telephone terminal is informed that “This telephone cannot be reached since the owner is currently driving. Please call again later”.
In these cases, the call-making side may leave a message if a so-called answering machine service function, in which messages are received at an answering machine center, or a so-called message noting function, in which messages are recorded on the call-receiving mobile telephone terminal, has been set.
Except in the aforementioned cases, however, when incoming calls are disabled in conventional mobile telephone systems no information is given as to why a user cannot answer a telephone (that is, a reason why an incoming call cannot be received).
A communication system in which, when incoming calls cannot be received, an incoming call is rejected automatically and a reason is given for the incoming call disablement is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-251231. In this communication system, however, no information is given as to when the telephone will be able to receive calls (that is, the period of time during which incoming calls will be disabled). In other words, this system makes no distinction between and gives no information concerning a comparatively short call disablement period for reasons such as a user being on a short train ride or in a meeting, for example, and a comparatively long call disablement period for reasons such as a user being out of the coverage area for a long period of time or on an overseas vacation. Hence, the information given to the call-making side concerning the disablement of incoming calls is insufficient.
These problems occur in similar fashion in fixed telephone systems in which communication between a call-receiving fixed telephone terminal and a call-making fixed telephone terminal is performed, or in a combination of a mobile telephone terminal and a fixed telephone terminal.
The present invention has been devised in this context, and it is an object thereof to provide a system and method for providing information concerning incoming call disablement in which, when a call-receiving telephone terminal is unable to receive incoming calls due to various circumstances, a call-making telephone terminal may be provided with information concerning the reason for the call disablement and the period of time during which incoming calls will be disabled.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for providing information concerning incoming call disablement in which a call-receiving telephone terminal may be provided with the aforementioned information by means of a simple operation.